Sophocles was born in 496 B.C. in northwest Athens, Greece. His father was a wealthy merchant, and he owned many slaves. His family belonged to Colonus Hippius, which is a village that is north-west of Athens. As a child, he enjoyed studying the arts, and by the time he turned sixteen he lead a choir of boys in a celebration after the victory of Salamis. He was well known for his beauty and grace. After he was finished with school, he competed in a festival where he won first place for his play. In his lifetime, he would win eighteen first place prizes and never getting past second place. Sophocles also was an ordained priest for many years for Alcon and Asclepius. He served on the Board of Generals as well. The Board of Generals controlled the funds of the Delian Confederacy.
Sophocles was known for his temper but also for being calm. He was very rich in wealth as well as life because of his fame. He would never leave Athens even though many foreign princes invited him to visit. The community appreciated Sophocles because he was very generous and sociable. He founded a literary club in Athens, also. Aeschylus was considered his rival, but Sophocles had a deep found respect for him and never showed a sign of jealousy.
Sophocles was married to a woman named Nicostrata, and they had a son named Iophon. He also had another son with a woman from Sicyon. He had three other sons as well, but there is nothing known about them.
Sophocles contributed a lot to theater to help make it what it is today. He was the first person to add a third actor to plays. He also invented scene-painting.
Sophocles wrote a total of more than 120 plays, but only seven survived until now. The reason only seven survived was because someone chose seven of Sophocles' plays, seven of Aeschylus' plays, and ten of Euripides' plays. They took these twenty-four plays and turned them into a book that was studied in schools.
His greatest work is Oedipus the King. He also wrote Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone. Sophocles passed away right after Oedipus at Colonus was written. His death caused the first great age of tragedy to end. Sophocles did not survive to see Oedipus at Colonus to be made into a play, but his grandson put it on in 401 B.C., after his grandfather's death.
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